KH: Matrix of Reality
by brawlingwolf
Summary: Xehanort has been defeated, the χ-Blade forged and claimed by Ventus, and Kingdom Hearts shines over the worlds. Recovering from the loss of their best friend, Riku and Kairi welcome a new son together, seeing only one name suitable to give him: Sora. It seemed peace and light finally had a chance- That is, until a boy in a black coat appeared. Sequel to Ultimativ.
1. Prologue

There was a warm smile on Riku's face as he sat at Kairi's bedside, and he wiped his eyes. She looked up with a tired but joyful look in her eyes, and he stroked her hair and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked. She sounded exhausted, and he couldn't blame her.

"Mm…" He nuzzled the side of her head, earning a giggle. "Just pondering the things we've been through."

Somehow, more specifically, he found himself thinking back to the day he had proposed to her about two years previous. It certainly hadn't been the way he expected to when he was younger, considering their relationship hadn't exactly been ordinary. They hadn't quite been officially been dating, though he'd taken her out for an evening every once in a while just to see her smile, to try to make her happy. He had caught her completely off guard when he pulled out a box with a diamond ring within.

"Riku…?" she had nearly squeaked.

"I'm sorry." That had been the first thing he said. "I know this isn't entirely what we expected. If… If we hadn't lost Sora, this probably wouldn't be happening." Tears had welled up in her eyes as he continued. "I know I'm not him. I know you were a lot closer to him, and that's perfectly fine. I messed up a lot, and he kept you safe. And these last couple of years have been really hard." He'd fallen silent, gathering his thoughts. "But I've finally started to see you smile again, and I don't want that to go away."

"Riku… I…" He'd shaken his head.

"I promise I'll keep you safe, Kairi," he'd continued. "I'll do everything I can to make you happy. I don't want to see you lose yourself in sadness any longer. So… If you'll let me, I want to stay at your side, not just as a friend. Let me protect your heart. Please." It had taken her some time to give him any kind of response, and when she finally did, it wasn't anything he had expected. She'd fallen against him and wrapped her arms around his back tightly, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Oh, Riku, I'm so sorry," she'd blubbered as he gently returned her embrace. "I'm sorry I've made you feel like this. Please don't feel like you're not good enough… You're my best friend and I'd be devastated if I lost you." She'd pulled back slightly to look into his eyes, tears dripping down her face. "Please don't think I'm settling for you or anything. I…" He'd grunted as she kissed him and blushed when she pulled back to meet his eyes again. "I love you, Riku. Some part of me always has."

"But…" He'd frowned. "I… Kind of figured you and Sora would end up together." She'd shaken her head.

"I… I can't say for sure what would have happened if he had survived," she'd admitted. "But nothing was set in stone. Riku, you mean so much to me, and please forgive me for making you feel like this." She'd given him a weak smile and wiped her eyes. "I love you. Nothing would make me happier than to marry you." He had smiled as well and blinked back his own tears of joy and relief, and he'd retrieved her hand and placed the ring on her finger.

"I love you too, Kairi," he'd told her, and she'd stretched up to kiss him again, more gently this time. "I promise. I'll make you happy and I'll keep you safe."

"You already do, Riku," she'd replied. "More than you know. Thank you."

Despite her repeated reassurance, it had taken him quite some time to get over his guilt and an unfortunate inferiority complex. He had accepted back when he and Sora first closed the Door to Darkness that he had no chance with Kairi, had trusted Sora to take care of her. And when Sora had done the same, trusted him to take care of her as the last of his life faded from his body, it left Riku feeling conflicted for quite some time. Sora had died saving him from Xehanort's final act of darkness, and more than once Riku had wished it had been the other way around. Even after their wedding, he couldn't help the doubt in the back of his mind and the guilt still clutching his heart that he had taken something from Sora.

But now, he couldn't be happier, and trusted their lost friend was still with them in some way, watching over them, hopefully happy for them. He kissed Kairi's temple, then looked down with a warm smile at the newborn she held in her arms. He gently stroked his infant son's head, mindful of how fragile the child seemed. But he attributed that to him simply being a newborn. Riku could sense the beginnings of a strong heart within the child.

He looked up at the sound of soft knocking and found Ventus peeking in with a grin on his face.

"Hey, can we come in?" he asked, and Riku exchanged a quick look with his wife, then nodded. Ventus made his way to Kairi's opposite side with Aqua following him, and she smiled warmly as she took her husband's hand.

"How is he?" she asked as she looked down at the newborn.

"He's fine," Kairi replied with a proud smile. "Healthy and strong."

"Just like his mother," Riku added, and she gave him a curt look. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her again. The infant cooed softly, stirring and looking up at Riku with the same bright blue eyes as his father.

"I think he likes you," Ventus laughed, and Riku snorted slightly.

"I certainly hope my son likes me," he replied. "I'd like to at least have some time before he hits his awkward teenage years where he thinks I'm a hopeless dork."

"Well, you are kind of a dork," Kairi teased, and he smirked at her.

"You're the one who agreed to marry me," he pointed out, and she smiled warmly.

"And I'm glad I did," she said. "I love you, Riku."

"And I love you, Kairi," he replied warmly. Once again, he kissed her temple, then leaned down to kiss the top of his son's head.

"So," Ventus tilted his head slightly. "Any idea of what you want to name him?" Kairi looked up and met Riku's gaze, and they both smiled, though Ventus could see traces of old sadness in their eyes.

"I don't think it's much of a question," Kairi said as she looked down at her son. Riku shut his eyes, taking a soft breath, and nodded in agreement. Ventus smiled as well and lowered his head for a moment, then looked back up and held his hand out slightly.

"May I?" he asked, and both Riku and Kairi nodded. He leaned in and held his hand toward the infant, who gently wrapped his tiny hand around Ventus's finger. Ventus felt his eyes water as well, though his heart swelled with happiness. He spoke softly, earning a gentle coo from the boy.

"Hello, Sora."


	2. Chapter I: Inheritance

Fourteen years had passed since Riku and Kairi had welcomed their son into their world and given him Sora's name. Now, under the light of the sun and of Kingdom Hearts, Riku stood with the Kingdom Key at the ready in the forecourt in front of the Land of Departure's castle. While he certainly had gotten older, he was still quite a force to be reckoned with and had only continued to hone his skills and strength since he had been named a Keyblade Master. He could put up quite a fight against anyone except his current opponent.

Ventus hadn't physically changed a bit since he took ownership of the χ-Blade, and he currently wielded it in its sealed state. His long, short-sleeved white coat billowed slightly in the breeze passing through the mountains. He gave Riku a challenging grin and gestured for him to make a move. Riku's eyes narrowed and Ventus's smile became mischievous, and he sprung out of the way once Riku had struck for him. Riku frowned and summoned a circle of light and darkness around his body as he rushed toward his target, but Ventus cast a quick barrier that deflected his attack. He followed up with a spin that knocked Riku off balance, but he quickly recovered.

"Come on, Dad!" Sora called from his place sitting on the castle steps. He watched the spar with great interest, his bright blue eyes like his father's wide and curious. His red hair like his mother's rustled in the wind, and he shook his head quickly to get his bangs out of his face. "You can beat him!"

"You- Ergh- really think so?" Riku replied with a grunt and a smirk as he blocked Ventus's χ-Blade. "Because this guy's a beast!" He tried to counter his opponent, but Ventus rolled to the side and struck him in the back, knocking him off his feet. The blond young man grinned as he straightened up, and Riku huffed as he got back to his feet.

"Giving up already?" Ventus teased. "Come on, Riku. I thought you were stronger than that." Riku glared at him and gripped his Keyblade, causing light to shoot through it, and he held it aloft as he charged for Ventus again. Ventus ducked under as Riku slashed at him and countered, though it seemed he had misjudged the force behind his strike. The Kingdom Key flew from Riku's grip and landed near the top of the stairs with a clatter.

"Uh oh," Sora jumped to his feet and started quickly up the stairs. "Don't worry, Dad! I'll get it!" Riku blinked, forgetting about the quick shot of pain that had traveled up his good wrist, and looked up with wide eyes at his son.

"Sora, wait!" he called a bit too late. Sora picked up the Kingdom Key and hurried back down the stairs. He presented it to his father with a warm smile, and Ventus cleared his throat as he came to stand at Riku's side. Sora's smile faded as both masters stared at him.

"Did I… do something wrong?" he asked. Riku blinked and shook his head somewhat vigorously, then took the Keyblade from his son.

"No, not at all," he replied, still half lost in his thoughts. He glanced at Ventus with an almost helpless look on his face, and Ventus's eyes shone with some mix of understanding and sympathy.

"What's done is done," he said and gestured to the boy. Sora looked down and shuffled back a few steps.

"Sora, wait," Riku said, and his son looked back up at him hesitantly. The master took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't think you quite know what you just did." Sora shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I was just trying to help."

"You don't have to apologize," Riku told him. "Just…" He sighed. "I guess destiny has a funny way." He fell silent for a moment and knelt down, holding the Keyblade's handle toward Sora. "'In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, it's wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend. No ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love.'" He smiled, and Sora, with awe and wonder in his eyes, wrapped his fingers around the Kingdom Key's handle. "You'll now be a Keyblade wielder, Sora."

"A… Wait, what?" Sora's eyes widened. "I'm a Keyblade wielder?! Like you guys? Like Mom and Lea and Xion and-"

"That's right," Riku nodded as Sora released the Kingdom Key, and the master allowed it to vanish. "Though you'll have to go through a lot of training to learn how to properly wield it. These aren't just weapons, Sora."

"I know, I know," Sora smiled. "You've told me that a hundred times, Dad." Riku shook his head and gave his son an exasperated smile.

"I know that, but it just became a lot more real. I hope you've been paying attention to the stories we've told you."

"Of course!" Sora nodded. "And I want to be a great hero just like the guy you named me after." He grinned, giddy. "I'm gonna go tell Mom!" Before his father could stop him, he spun around and ran up the stairs and into the castle. Riku straightened up as he watched the boy go, rubbing the back of his head.

"Definitely takes after his mother," he muttered.

"And his father," Ventus pointed out. "Can't sit still, can't stay in one place, curious about everything, and a lot of energy to burn." He turned to Riku. "But anyway, are you okay?" Riku shrugged and crossed his arms.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I guess it was only a matter of time before he got a Keyblade, considering our history, not to mention that his mother is a Princess of Heart. But…" He shook his head. "Why did it have to be through the Kingdom Key?"

"You can't protect him forever," Ventus said gently and placed his hand on Riku's shoulder. "And I know you're scared something will happen to him. But he's a strong boy with a powerful heart and even more potential. You've already taught him so much about the worlds even though he hasn't seen them for himself. And…" He looked up at Kingdom Hearts. "Maybe the time has come to start teaching the next generation. And I can think of no one better than him to begin that. He's going to do great things." He smiled. "It's in his blood and his heart."

"Now, is that you being nice or do you actually see that?" Riku wondered, and Ventus chuckled.

"A little of both," he replied. "But seriously, Sora has a strong heart full of light. Yes, of course, there's darkness in there too, but that's natural. And with a father like you to guide him, he'll have no problem learning to control it."

"I hope so," Riku said. "And I'm really not all that worried about the darkness getting to him. I mean, yeah, we'll have to make sure he learns how to defend himself, but I don't doubt he can do that. I just…" He looked down. "Worry."

"I understand," Ventus nodded. "I really do, Riku. But put some faith in him."

"I know," Riku sighed. "I just don't know what I would do if something happened to him." He shut his eyes.

"Then we'll just have to make sure to prepare him for anything." Ventus patted Riku's back a bit and looked up at the castle. "Well, maybe you should go make sure he doesn't catch Kairi off guard too much. Maybe explain what happened?"

"Yeah…" Riku chuckled uneasily. "I don't think she'll be mad, per say, but I might get an earful about being more careful." He started up the stairs, leaving Ventus in the forecourt, and the χ-Blade's master took a deep, slow breath as he looked up again at Kingdom Hearts.


	3. Chapter II: Oath

Sora jogged through the halls of the Land of Departure's castle, his excitement evident in the grin on his face. He slowed down once he reached his parents' room, knocking on the door.

"Mom?" he called and waited for a moment, then slowly opened the door and peeked inside. Kairi was nowhere to be found, and he shrugged. "Guess she's not here." He started to leave, but stopped as something caught his eye. He walked around the bed to the nightstand on the opposite side of the room where he found a star-shaped charm made from seashells. "Is this a Wayfinder?" he wondered, recalling the name from the stories his parents had told him when he was younger. He picked the charm up for closer inspection, finding a smiling face drawn on it and a crown-shaped charm in the middle of the star.

"Ah!" He squinted as a bright light illuminated around the Wayfinder, and he shielded his eyes with his free hand. He blinked several times, trying to clear his vision, and he shook his head as the light died down. "What was that?" he asked of no one in particular. As his eyes adjusted, he looked down to find the Wayfinder was no longer in his hand, and he about stopped breathing.

Instead, it hung from a thin chain attached to the end of what appeared to be a Keyblade. It was mostly silver in color with angel-like wings acting as the guard around the hilt. Two silver shafts extended along the blade and made up a heart-like shape at the other end along with the pointed teeth colored white, yellow, and blue. Sora lifted the Keyblade up, staring at it in wonder as he swung it around lightly.

"Is this my Keyblade?" he wondered as his eyes trailed back to the Wayfinder hanging from it. He turned for the door and hurried back out to show his parents what he'd obtained.

Meanwhile, Riku had finally managed to find Kairi in the castle library, and she looked up from the book in her hands and smiled at him as he approached her.

"Hello, Riku," she greeted and exchanged a quick kiss with him. "Is something on your mind?"

"A bit," he replied, and her smile faded.

"Uh oh. What happened now?" He took her hands in his.

"Well, uh…" He pursed his lips. "Sora kind of inherited my Keyblade." Kairi blinked.

"What do you mean 'kind of?'" she asked as he released her and scratched his head.

"I was out in the courtyard sparring with Ven, and Sora was watching. But Ven knocked my Keyblade out of my hand and Sora got to it before I did. So… He's got the power to wield one now." Kairi shook her head and smiled.

"Is that all? I was worried you'd gotten hurt or something!" Her smile grew and she kissed his cheek. "Riku, you know we both figured it was only a matter of time before Sora picked up the Keyblade. I mean, he lives in the land of Keyblade wielders and we both have one. It was kind of unavoidable. If anything, I'm just worried you weren't more careful." He chuckled lightly and hugged her.

"I thought you'd say that," he replied. "I guess… Seeing him holding the Kingdom Key stirred up some emotions in my heart I thought I'd managed to bury. I… I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to him." She nodded.

"I understand, love. But we can't protect him from everything forever. And now he has a way to defend himself. And besides," she pulled back to meet his gaze and smiled. "I'm sure he'll love the chance to show his great master of a father what he's capable of." Riku dipped his head.

"You're right. As always." He looked over to the door. "Now, we should probably go find him. He took off running to look for you so he could tell you about it. Hopefully he won't be too mad at me for ruining the surprise." She took his hand.

"Not your fault you found me first," she said, and he smiled. Together, they headed out into the halls of the castle in search of their son. And sure enough, it wasn't long before he turned a corner at top speed and nearly ran into them.

"Goodness, Sora!" Kairi nearly scolded. "Slow down. You don't need… to…" she trailed off as she saw the Keyblade he held, and Sora grinned as he held it up.

"Look, Dad!" he said. "I got a Keyblade! I…" He smiled sheepishly. "I was looking for you, Mom. But you weren't in your room… And I guess I should have left it alone, but…" He lifted the Wayfinder that acted as the Keyblade's token. "I just wanted to look at it. Next thing I knew, I had this Keyblade." Once again, his giddiness faded away as his parents gazed at him with a mix of emotions. "I'm sorry," he said as he looked down. "I didn't mean to do anything wrong. I didn't know this would happen." Kairi smiled and knelt down a bit, placing her hands against her son's cheeks.

"No, no," she told him. "You didn't do anything wrong, dear. It just caught us off guard." She gestured to the Keyblade he held. "This Keyblade is called Oathkeeper. It used to belong to the boy we named you after." Sora looked down at it and frowned.

"This was his Keyblade?" he asked as he looked back up at his parents.

"Sort of," Riku replied. "It wasn't HIS, exactly… More just a shape his Keyblade took. Your mother let him borrow that Wayfinder as a good luck charm a few times."

"Ah," Sora nodded. "Okay." He looked to his mother and smiled. "I hope you don't mind if I borrow it too."

"Not at all," she said with a smile. "It'll help keep you safe. As long as you carry it, you'll always find your way back home."

"I'll take good care of it. I promise." He smiled and she hugged him, stroking his hair gently. Riku smiled slightly as he observed them, though in the back of his mind, he was lost in thought. His eyes lost focus and he took a slow breath.

"Sora," he said, catching his son's attention. "Now that you have a Keyblade, you'll need to learn how to use it. And…" He frowned. "I think we should talk to Ven about it. Want to go find him?"

"Okay," Sora nodded. "Is he still outside?"

"Either there or in the great hall," Riku replied and smiled. "I'll catch up in a minute." Sora nodded again and hurried off toward the castle entrance. Once he was gone, Riku sighed and massaged his forehead.

"What is it?" Kairi asked, taking his arm.

"He inherited the power of the Keyblade thanks to the Kingdom Key, and he just so happened to find your Wayfinder that managed to manifest itself as Oathkeeper." He shook his head. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid."

"Mm…" Kairi rested her head against his shoulder. "It's probably just a coincidence. I mean, you use the Kingdom Key a lot more often than your own Keyblade these days and I did leave that Wayfinder out when I was looking for something else."

"Fair enough," he said. "Well, either way, I want to make sure he's trained as well as possible. And, unfortunately, I can't do that for him." Kairi tilted her head curiously. "Come on." He started toward the great hall. "I'll explain once we find Ven." She followed him through the halls, and shortly later, they found Sora chattering away with Ventus and Aqua near the three thrones. Riku and Kairi joined them, and Ventus looked up and smiled as he rested his arms behind his head.

"Your son has a LOT of energy to burn," he remarked, and Aqua laughed.

"He's just excited," she said, giving her husband a playful shove. Ventus grinned at her, then looked back to Riku.

"So, Sora here says you want to talk to me about something?" he asked, and Riku nodded as he came to his son's side and wrapped his arm over Sora's shoulder.

"Yeah. Now that Sora has a Keyblade, he's going to need to learn how to use it." He looked down to find his son grinning at him, and he smiled as he looked back up at Ventus. "Ven, I'd like to ask you to be Sora's master." Ventus blinked and Sora stared at his father.

"Me?" Ventus asked, and Riku nodded as he held Sora a bit closer.

"You and Aqua are the only ones around here that have had any actual formal training," he explained. "Beyond that, you know so much about the Keyblade's impact on the heart and the role we have in the worlds. And…" He looked down to his son again. "While I know you and plenty of others have said that I'm a strong and powerful Keyblade Master, I nearly lost my heart to darkness in order to get there. If we ever come across a Keyblade wielder in need of training that needs to learn to control their darkness, I'd be happy to teach them what I know. But I don't want to expose Sora to that kind of darkness. You can teach him how to defend himself without having to open himself up to it first, right?"

"Riku…" Ventus shook his head and smiled a bit. "You don't give yourself enough credit. But I understand where you're coming from." His smile grew and he looked up. "Sora, you'll be the first Keyblade wielder to have formal training since Kingdom Hearts appeared again and the worlds were connected. I suppose it makes sense that I be your master, if you're okay with that." Sora looked up at his father again, who gave him a reassuring nod, then back to Ventus.

"Okay," he grinned. "Does this mean I have to call you 'Master Ventus' now?"

"Master Ven is fine," Ventus replied with a laugh. "I expect you to keep up with your studies, training, and practice diligently."

"Yes, sir!" Sora dipped his head. "When do we start?" Ventus smiled and crossed his arms.

"I suppose now is as good a time as any," he said. "Let's head up to the mountain trail and I'll show you a few basics. That way you can get some energy out before I start in on the history lessons."

"Okay!" Sora headed to the stairs, and Ventus gave Aqua a kiss on the cheek before nodding to Riku and Kairi, then followed his new apprentice out. Riku shook his head and smiled a bit.

"He's so eager," he mused. "But I think he'll do fine."

"I'm sure he will," Aqua agreed. "And Ven will make sure nothing bad happens. Sora is lucky to have him as a master."

"You don't think we're asking too much of him?" Kairi wondered, and Aqua shook her head.

"No, not at all. I think Ven will be happy to have someone to help him fill his time. He needs a break from figuring out what to do with the worlds anyway. Poor guy has had his hands full since he decided to open the paths between them."

"No kidding," Riku agreed and looked out toward the main doors of the castle, backing up to take a seat in his throne to the left of Ventus's in the middle. He wrung his hands together as his leg fidgeted slightly.

"It'll be okay, Riku," Kairi said as she came to his side and stroked his hair gently.

"I know," he nodded again. "I just don't want to lose him."

"Relax, Riku," Aqua smiled. "Sora will be fine." Riku nodded and forced a smile, though it didn't do much to mask his concern.

 _"That's what I thought back when we fought Xehanort."_


	4. Chapter III: Heartless

About two months had passed since Sora had become Ventus's apprentice, and he listened eagerly to every lesson the χ-Blade Master had to teach him. He was learning quickly and had a solid understanding of basic techniques and magic along with the dangers of a Keyblade if misused. He'd also endured quite a few lectures about protecting the world order: even though the worlds were connected, they were still their own entities and should be respected as such. Now, he sat on the floor of the great hall while Ventus paced back and forth, going on about the Keyholes that led to each world's heart, but he suddenly stopped and fell silent.

"Master Ven?" Sora tilted his head curiously. "What's the matter?" Ventus's eyes lost focus and he clenched his fists.

"Darkness," he said flatly. "Something, somewhere… A lot of darkness is descending." About two heartbeats later, the front doors of the castle opened and Ventus hurried to the balcony overlooking it with Sora scrambling after him. "Lea!" the Master called as he spotted the redhead stumbling inside, and- to Sora's surprise- he jumped off the balcony and slowed his descent for a soft, stable landing.

"There you are," Lea panted. Now that he was in his forties, it seemed his years were catching up with him. "Radiant Garden. Lotta Pureblood Heartless. Dunno why they're there or where they came from." Ventus's brow furrowed as he nodded, and he ran outside just as Sora managed to make it down the stairs.

"Hi, Lea," he greeted, and Lea waved before following Ventus out. Sora went after them to find his master summoning a path between worlds, and he summoned the sealed χ-Blade and shot a beam from it toward Kingdom Hearts.

"Riku!" he called. "I don't care what you're doing. Get to Radiant Garden. Now." He paused and grit his teeth. "Lea just showed up and told me Heartless are attacking." Another pause. "Yes, Heartless. Get over there and let's put a stop to them. I'll meet you soon." He turned to his apprentice. "Sora, stay here. This could be dangerous."

"But I want to help!" Sora protested. "You've taught me a lot the past few weeks."

"Not nearly enough," Ventus all but scolded. "Stay put. I'll be back soon."

"But-"

"Oh, just let him come," Lea said with a groan. "He could learn a thing or two." Ventus pursed his lips, then looked back at his apprentice.

"Promise me you'll do exactly as I say and don't take on more than you can handle. Understood?" Sora dipped his head.

"Yes, sir. I promise." With that, Ventus turned and hurried through the path he'd opened with Lea and Sora following close behind him.

They arrived in the town square of Radiant Garden where Cloud, Leon, and Yuffie were just finishing off a group of shadows. Ventus slashed his χ-Blade through the last few stragglers and joined them.

"So what's going on?" he asked as Leon turned to him, slinging his Gunblade over his shoulders. He glanced over to Cloud.

"Do me a favor and make sure the borough is covered," he said. "I doubt Cid's Claymores can handle all this."

"Right." Cloud gestured for Yuffie to follow him and pulled another part of the First Tsurugi from the sheath on his back before racing off toward the other part of town. Leon turned his attention back to the Keyblade wielders and wiped his forehead.

"I've got no clue where they're coming from," he reported. "But Heartless don't naturally act this organized. Someone's got to be giving them orders somewhere. And given how quiet things have been, I wouldn't be surprised if the leader is around here somewhere."

"You haven't noticed any odd types?" Ventus asked as he glanced between Leon and Lea. "Either of you?"

"Nope," Lea shook his head. "They popped up out of the blue and started wrecking stuff. That's about it."

"Great." Ventus sighed. "Okay, first thing's first. Get rid of these things. Then we'll worry about whoever's giving the commands." He looked over to his apprentice. "Sora, stay close to me. Get ready for a fight, but stay out of the middle of everything." Sora nodded vigorously and followed the others as they headed into the residential district, past Merlin's house, and to the inner gardens where they found Riku fighting off a group of Neoshadows.

"Dad!" Sora called, and Riku looked up just as he slashed the Kingdom Key through one of his assailants, finishing it off. Ventus threw his χ-Blade forward, felling a handful of the Heartless as it returned to him, then rushed over to join his companion. Sora did as well while Lea and Leon headed in a different direction.

"Why exactly did you bring Sora?" Riku wondered as he dodged a Neoshadow's claws and finished it off with a cast of fire magic.

"He wouldn't let me leave him back home," Ventus replied, shooting a ball of light at another Neoshadow and causing it to dissipate. "Believe me, I tried."

"You really should listen to your Master," Riku told his son and knocked another of the Heartless to the side, and Sora slashed his Keyblade through it and put an end to it. Ventus gathered up his energy and thrust his Keyblade skyward, and light erupted around him, destroying the rest of the Heartless in the nearby area.

"Sorry," Sora mumbled. Riku shook his head and patted his son's head before turning to Ventus.

"I don't know what's up with them," he said. "I know Heartless can be destructive, but they don't usually act like this. Whoever's controlling them is trying to make a scene. I haven't really noticed them attacking people, like trying to take their hearts. They're just causing trouble."

"Strange…" Ventus frowned. "But why? Aside from a few stragglers here and there, we haven't had much of a problem with them in the past few years." He stopped short and looked up as what appeared to be the darkness from the Heartless gathered in the sky, briefly blocking out the light of Kingdom Hearts before exploding, then disappearing entirely. He blinked and frowned. "I have the strangest feeling that was aimed at me."

"Not good," Riku muttered. "Was that all of them? Any idea?" Ventus closed his eyes and focused for a moment, then nodded.

"Yeah, I think that was it. And I think you're right. Whoever brought them here was probably trying to draw us out. But…" He looked down in thought. "Who? I haven't noticed anyone with that kind of command of darkness recently. I'm pretty sure I'd know about it."

"You knew about the Heartless here," Sora pointed out. "You sensed it even before Lea came and told you about it."

"Yeah," Ventus nodded again. "Anyway. Sora, you're not hurt, are you?" Sora shook his head. "Good." He turned to his fellow master. "And you? Are you okay?"

"A few scratches, but nothing major," Riku replied and lifted his Keyblade into the air as a green light enveloped it and fell over him, then turned to his son. "Well, that was your first taste of fighting the Heartless. And if this is going to become a bigger problem, you might want to get used to it." He paused and shook his head. "Of course, if I had my way, I'd keep you far away from any danger."

"I'll be okay, Dad," Sora said with a smile. "I've been learning about the Keyblade for a long time, even before I got my own. And… I want to see the worlds." Riku smiled helplessly as Ventus eyed him.

"I suppose I can't argue with that," he said. "I was the same way when I was your age."

"And look where you are now!" Sora's smile blossomed into a grin. "I want to help, Dad. I want to go all sorts of places like you have." He looked up at Ventus. "Please?"

"Hm…" Ventus scratched his chin for a moment as he thought over their options. "That might actually work better than we think. Riku. You, me, and the rest of our group will need to fan out over the worlds and see if we can find the cause of all this. Meanwhile, Sora, you can travel the worlds and make sure the people there are safe. I don't want you getting into any major combat unless you absolutely have to, but I'm sure you can swat a few stragglers here and there without much problem. And," he pointed up at Kingdom Hearts. "If you find yourself stuck or in trouble, just point your Keyblade up at Kingdom Hearts and think of me. I'll know immediately where you are and I'll come help you as soon as I can. Okay?"

"Okay," Sora nodded. "Thank you, Master Ven. I won't let you down! I'll become a great Keyblade Master just like my dad." He grinned as he looked up at his father. "Right?"

"Right," Riku agreed as he ruffled the boy's hair. "But don't bite off more than you can chew, okay? Take it easy and be careful. And don't get involved with any internal affairs in the worlds. If the Heartless or invaders from other worlds become a problem, then you can get involved. But other than that, it's not your place to interfere. Got it?"

"Got it," Sora snorted a bit. "Master Ven's given me that lecture several times already."

"Only because it's so important that you keep it in mind," Ventus replied curtly, crossing his arms. "Sora, you're the type of boy who wants to help everyone. You have a strong and bright heart that'll probably draw you to all sorts of people, and those people will be drawn to you. You'll see hurt in the worlds. But you can't come to everyone's rescue. You'll have to learn to hold back and let the natural process of things go along its intended path. It's harder than it sounds."

"I understand," Sora replied. "I promise I'll be careful, both for myself and for the worlds."

"Good," Ventus nodded. "Now, let's get back home so we can regroup before we split up." He lifted his hand and a path appeared nearby. "One more thing." He reached out to the necklace his apprentice wore, the same token of the angular heart the Keyblade Masters wore. A light flashed around it as Ventus touched it, and Sora cupped his hand over it. "As long as you have that necklace, then your form will change to help you blend into and traverse the world you find yourself in."

"Like my old friend once turned into a lion cub for one world he went to," Riku chuckled. "It'll help you immensely."

"Okay," Sora nodded and looked down at this necklace. "So it'll turn me into other things?"

"Or at least change your clothes to match the world," his father said. "Again, it's about blending."

"Right," Ventus agreed and looked to the path. "Now, let's get going."

"I really hope we can end this sooner than later," Riku grumbled as he crossed his arms and glanced around the damage the Heartless had caused. "I'm not sure I can handle another conflict drawn out over several years."

"We'll be fine, Dad," Sora said as he walked toward the path Ventus had opened. "You'll see! I'll make you proud!" He hurried through the path, and Riku smiled lightly and shook his head.

"I'm already proud of you, Sora," he said softly. "More than you know."


	5. Chapter IV: The Sea Kingdom, Part I

"Be careful, okay?" Kairi said as she held her son close, and Sora returned her hug and smiled. "You can come home any time."

"I know," Sora replied as he looked up at her. "I'll be back soon, Mom. And I'll look after myself."

"Good." She kissed his forehead and stroked his hair gently before releasing him. "I love you, Sora."

"Love you too, Mom." He grinned and turned to his father. "You too, Dad." Riku nodded and hugged his son as well.

"Just keep everything we've taught you in mind and you'll do fine. And remember what Ven said about asking for help." Sora nodded again.

"I will," he said and turned toward one of the open pathways between the worlds. "I'll see you soon!" He waved with a smile on his face, and his parents waved back. He turned back to the path and took a deep breath, calming his nerves, and he stepped into it. He found himself walking through a corridor of light and felt an odd sensation that he could only describe as a desire to summon his Keyblade as he traversed between the worlds. Curiously, he glanced up to a bright light ahead, and picked up his pace until he passed through it.

"Mmrph!" he grunted as he found himself underwater, though thankfully not too far from the surface. He swam up and gasped for air, shaking out his hair a little. "Sheesh, I'll need to talk to Master Ven about putting these entrances in better places." He wiped the saltwater from his eyes and looked around. On the nearby shore, he found a castle with a large wall dividing it from the sea, and in the distance around it he saw large groups of people heading toward the castle itself.

The sound of a splash caught his attention, and he turned himself around and found a girl with black hair pulled into a ponytail swimming around nearby. She climbed up on one of the larger rocks sticking out of the water's surface. She sat down and smiled brightly as she looked through the bag she carried with her.

"Excuse me!" he called and waved, and she looked up, alarmed, and nearly fell off the rock. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you!" he said as he swam over. She ducked behind the rock and peered over it, worry apparent on her face.

"Please, please, PLEASE don't tell my mom I was out here," she nearly begged. "She'd flip."

"Uh, okay," Sora nodded. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." He smiled and climbed up onto the rock on the side opposite of her, holding his hand out. "I'm Sora." She smiled and took his hand briefly.

"Thanks, Sora," she replied. "I'm Melody. So, what brings you out to sea?" He blinked and scratched his head.

"Just… going for a swim?" He smiled shyly. "Couldn't help myself." She nodded.

"I know what you mean," she said as she looked out to the horizon. "It's so wonderful. So much to explore, so many cool things, and it's beautiful."

"Melody!" both she and Sora jumped as they found a small red crab joining them on the rock, and he didn't look pleased.

"Hi, Sebastian," Melody greeted with a grin.

"Melody, child, you know you shouldn't be out here," Sebastian scolded. "If your mother knew that you-"

"I know, I know," Melody interrupted. "Oh, Sebastian… I can't help it." She got to her feet. "I just love the sea!" She dove into the water with a splash, spraying Sora and dowsing Sebastian. "Oops," she said once she'd surfaced. "Sorry."

"No problem," Sora replied with a smile, then looked down at the crab. "So, why can't she be out here?" Both Sebastian and Melody looked at him, surprised.

"Wait, you can talk to him?" she asked, and he shrugged and nodded.

"This troublemaking young lady has been told time and time again that she is not allowed in the sea," Sebastian explained gruffly. "But here she is, deliberately disobeying her mother!"  
"Come on, Sebastian," Melody pleaded. "She'd never understand. What is it she has against the sea anyway?" Sebastian frowned, and after a moment, she sighed. "I can't just stay on dry land… I'm meant to be out here."

"Why don't you just tell your mom how you feel?" Sora wondered as he shrugged off his jacket to lay it out to dry.

"Oh, yes, let's go to your mother and tell her you've been out here…" Sebastian grumbled. "Swimming in the ocean!" he suddenly jumped, exasperated. "That would be quite a party…" Melody gasped and looked up.

"The party!" She whipped her head around toward the castle. "I almost forgot… I gotta go." She dove into the water again and Sebastian scuttled after her, calling for her. "Nice meeting you!" she waved at Sora, and he waved back with a slightly confused smile.

"You too!" he replied as he lowered his hand. "What was that all about?" He looked from the castle out to the horizon where the sea met the sky. "I wonder what her mother is so afraid of… I know she's young, but she seems like she can take care of herself." He frowned as his gaze returned to the castle. "Maybe I should go check it out…" He picked up his jacket and pulled it on. "So much for drying off." With that, he jumped back into the water and swam toward shore, climbing out at a bridge in the castle town where he found quite a bit of bustling activity. He ducked around a corner and into an alleyway, then summoned his Keyblade.

"Okay… I hope this works." He lifted it above him. "Wind!" A light sparked from it and the breeze picked up around him, creating several gusts that managed to improve his clothes from soaked to damp. "That's better." He headed back into town and caught up with the people heading toward the castle. "Excuse me," he said, catching the attention of a passerby. "Do you know a girl named Melody?"

"What kind of question is that, boy?" the passerby inquired. "What do you think all this is for? It's Princess Melody's birthday." Sora stopped walking and the passerby snorted as he went on his way.

"Princess?" Sora blinked. "She's a princess?" He looked up at the castle. "Then… That means her mother is the queen." He frowned and scratched his head. "This just got a little more difficult… Maybe I can slip in during this party and see if anything happens." He started walking with the slowly thinning crowd toward the castle itself, trying to calm his nerves. He kept his head down and kept pace with the people around him until he had made it inside, and he quickly broke away from the other guests and looked around.

"Let's see…" He said to himself. "Maybe I can catch someone talking about the Heartless or something… Can't really just ask them myself." He started down one of the halls, trying to keep his footsteps light and as quiet as possible.

"Melody!" he heard a voice call and stopped short as a red-haired woman came around the corner, and her gaze immediately fell on him.

"Shoot," he muttered as she looked him over, surprised. "Um…"

"Well, hello there," she greeted as she approached him with a gentle smile on her face. "Are you lost?"

"Yeah," he said, frowning. "I'm… looking for a bathroom?" Her smile grew as her eyes sparkled with humor.

"Mm-hmm…" She shook her head. "Let's try this again. What's your name, young man?"

"Sora, ma'am," he replied. "My name is Sora." Her brow rose.

"Sora?" She tilted her head slightly. "It's been a while since I heard that name. I once knew another boy named Sora. He helped me through a lot of difficult times." Sora looked down for a moment.

"Did he have something like this?" he asked and held his hand out to the side, then summoned his Keyblade, startling her.

"Yes!" she laughed. "You know him?" He dismissed his Keyblade and shrugged.

"No, I never met him." He shook his head. "He died a couple of years before I was born. My parents were his best friends and named me after him." The woman's smile faded and her eyes darkened.

"Oh, Sora…" she murmured. "That's horrible… I…" She fell silent and closed her eyes. "He was such a good friend and so kind... I can't believe I'll never see him again." She shook herself from the grief and returned her attention to her visitor. "But I suppose it's not the time to think about things like that. I'm trying to find my daughter, Melody. You haven't seen her while you were 'looking for a bathroom,' have you?" He blushed with embarrassment, and she smiled.

"No, ma'am," he shook his head. "Sorry."

"I wonder if she's out in the gardens," she said as she looked up. "Well, Sora, you're more than welcome to stay for the party if you'd like. If anyone asks, just tell them the queen said it was okay." He smiled and dipped his head.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." She smiled and started walking away. "Oh, wait!" he spun around and she turned toward him again, curious. "Have you seen anything weird? Any… monsters? Things called Heartless?" Her eyes widened, but she shook her head.

"No, not for quite some time," she said. "Should I be concerned?"

"No, not at all," he smiled. "I just figured I'd check as long as I was here." She nodded.

"Thank you, Sora." She smiled warmly. "I'll see you later. Enjoy the party!" With that, she left, and he crossed his arms and looked down.

"No Heartless… Then why is it so bad an idea for Melody to go out in the ocean?" he wondered. "Maybe I should stick around a little longer." He smiled a little. "No hurt in going to the party for a little while." He started back through the halls and caught up with the crowd of guests again, heading for the ballroom.

A little while later, Sora stood near the wall and scanned over all the people in fancy suits and dresses and poofy pants, and more than once he had received a confused look in regards to his wardrobe. His thoughts drifted to the necklace he wore and the magic Ventus had given him, wondering if a quick change was possible. But before he had a chance to ponder it any longer, the crowd fell silent and turned their collective attention to the grand staircase where the queen and who Sora assumed was the king appeared, and an old man stood to the side.

"Announcing her royal highness," he said, "Princess Melody." Sure enough, Melody started down the stairs, a nervous smile on her face as she held up the skirt of her pink dress so she wouldn't trip on her way down. She certainly did seem more comfortable in the water than on the stairs. Many of the guests bowed to her as she reached the ballroom floor, and after a moment, a young man approached her and offered his hand to her.

"Hi," he greeted a bit shyly. "Would you… like to dance?" Melody glanced at her mother, who gave her an encouraging nod, and she turned back to the young man.

"Sure, okay," she replied and took his hand, and the two made their way to the center of the ballroom. Music began to play and Sora watched as the two started to dance. Melody didn't seem very confident in her steps, but slowly relaxed as the music continued and she found her rhythm. She looked up from her feet shyly and her dance partner gave her a warm smile.

But suddenly, he stifled a grunt of pain and Melody's eyes widened as he suddenly pulled away from her. He held up his hand to find a certain red crab had pinched his finger and refused to let go, and he started waving his arm around in a panic in an attempt to dislodge him. Sebastian all but screamed as he lost his grip and went flying, landing with a crash nearby. Melody rushed over to him and knelt down.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," she said. "Are you okay, Sebastian?"

"That's it," Sebastian grumbled as he stood back up. "I'm too old for this!"

"I really am sorry," Melody said again.

"Who's she talking to?" someone called, and she looked up.

"She's talking to a crab!" another jeered, and many of the guests started laughing. Sora bit his lip and tried to find a way through the crowd as Melody glanced around, her hurt and embarrassment evident on her face. She covered her face with her hands, then wrapped her arms around herself.

"Melody!" Sora called, but either she ignored him or didn't hear him, and she ran back toward the stairs and past her parents. Her mother started after her, but stopped as she ran out of sight, and the queen sighed softly.

"Ew, look at it," some guest was saying, and Sora turned his attention to the group that had gathered around Sebastian. "Look at those pinchers!"

"Looks delicious to me," another said. "I love steamed crab!"

"Coming through!" Sora earned several grunts of protest as he shoved his way through and picked Sebastian up, then ran for the ballroom's exit with a few jeers following him. Once he was away from the commotion, he looked down at the crab in his hands. "Wow, tough crowd," he muttered. "Are you okay, Sebastian?"

"Yes, yes…" Sebastian groaned. "A crab my age shouldn't have to be a babysitter. If the sea king hadn't-" His eyes widened and he clamped his pinchers over his mouth.

"Sea king?" Sora echoed.

"Sea king?" Sebastian smiled sheepishly. "I meant… Um…" He frowned. "I will speak no more of this matter! Now please be kind enough to put me down."

"Let me get you out of here first," Sora said. "Wouldn't want you to be somebody's dinner." He hurried through the castle to the main gates and headed outside, then traced his way around the wall to a small beach where he set Sebastian down in the sand.

"Thank you," Sebastian said, and Sora nodded. "Poor girl. She's just like her mother…"

"Is there anything we can do for her?" Sora asked, crouching down closer to the crab's height. "I mean, is it weird she can talk to you? I understand you just fine."

"Humans can't usually talk to us sea folk," Sebastian replied. "Which begs the question: Why can YOU?" Sora shrugged.

"Why can Melody?" he asked, and Sebastian huffed and turned around. "Okay, okay. I get the picture."

"Sora?" He looked up and got to his feet as he found Melody approaching him. Her eyes were stained a shade of red and her muscles were tense. "What are you doing here?"

"Just making sure your little friend got out safely," he replied as he pointed at Sebastian. "I'm sorry about what happened, Melody. People can be pretty nasty." She shook her head.

"That doesn't matter," she said and held up a golden locket shaped like a clam. "Do you know what this is?"

"Uh, no," he said as he took a closer look at it. She took a breath, then opened it up. From it rose up a watery bubble showing an image of an undersea castle with merfolk swimming around it, and it played a song like a music box.

"I always thought Atlantica was more than just an old fish tale," she said. "And there has to be a reason this locket has my name on it. And…" she looked down as she shut it. "My mom won't tell me." She looked back up with a determined look in her eyes. "And if I can't find answers here, I'll just have to go somewhere else."

"But Melody!" Sebastian protested as she made her way to a rocky alcove and grunted as she pulled a rowboat out from within it. "You can't just go out into the sea by yourself!"

"I've gotta figure this out," she replied. Sora frowned and walked over to her.

"Nothing can change your mind?" he asked, and she looked up to him.

"Not until I find out what this locket means," she said. "Please don't tell my mom and dad." He took a deep breath and nodded, then helped her shove the boat into the water.

"Melody!" Sebastian argued as he scuttled over the sand, but she ignored him and climbed into the boat, taking hold of the oars.

"See you later, Sora," she said. "Thanks again." He only nodded as she started rowing away with Sebastian calling after her. The crab groaned and turned around, glaring at the young Keyblade wielder.

"Fantastic," he grumbled. "What do I do now?!" Sora didn't bother replying, instead lost in thought as he watched Melody's boat disappear in the growing darkness of night. He looked up at Kingdom Hearts shining among the stars.

"I can't let her go alone," he thought aloud. "There has to be a reason why she's not allowed in the sea." He frowned and cupped his hand around his necklace. "And maybe I have to go into the sea to find out." He looked down at Sebastian and smiled. "Don't worry. I'll go after her." Sebastian stared at him as he stepped into the water and dove in, swimming out until the castle was nearly lost from sight. He closed his eyes and focused on the magic his master had given him, and a light sparked from his necklace and covered his body. He felt strange as his legs melded together and gasped as he suddenly found he couldn't keep his head above water, and he held his breath as he slipped under the surface. But strangely, he didn't feel stifled by the water, and he very carefully took a breath. Sure enough, he found he could breathe just fine.

He opened his eyes and looked himself over, and a grin grew on his face. He'd lost pretty much any shred of clothing save his necklace, and instead had a long, dark blue tail like a fish. He looked up around the water as moonlight streamed into it, illuminating dancing seaweed and other plants below.

"Wow…" he marveled as he kicked his new tail, jerking himself through the water. "Okay, this is gonna take some getting used to." He angled himself forward and struggled for a bit to figure out how to move in the direction he wanted, but after getting a decent hold on it, he started swimming in the direction Melody had left in.


	6. Chapter V: The Sea Kingdom, Part II

Yawning underwater was probably one of the strangest sensations Sora had ever experienced, and he shook his head vigorously as he tried to wake himself up. He'd been swimming all night and now found himself among all sorts of icebergs of various sizes and shapes. He surfaced and looked around in the morning light for any sign of Melody's boat, but found nothing.

"Sheesh," he grumbled as he slipped back underwater. "Was she rowing all night? Didn't even bother to stop and sleep?" He slowly sunk to the seabed and scratched his head. "Where would she go all the way out here?" He sighed- again, an odd sensation underwater- and looked up toward the surface once more, pondering where to go next.

The sound of a splash caught his attention, and he picked himself back up and headed in the direction it had come from. He ducked behind an iceberg and peered out around it to find, to his surprise, a lone mermaid with a pink tail flipping and twirling around in the water. He frowned as she came closer, and his eyes widened as he realized who she was.

"Melody?!" She stopped short and glanced around wildly, and he swam out of his hiding spot toward her.

"Sora?" she stared at him, and they quickly looked each other over. "H-How did you get here? Why are you a merboy?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he pointed out. "Well, not merboy, mermaid. I came looking for you to make sure you were okay. How did you…?"

"You first," she said with a smile, and he sighed and shrugged, hoping a simple truth without the details wouldn't upset the world order.

"Magic," he replied. "I know some magic. I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

"That's really sweet of you," she said as she swam a circle around him. "But I'm fine! Better than fine, actually. This is amazing!" She kicked her tail and launched herself out of the water, diving back in a short distance away. "I met a really nice… uh, woman, I guess… She had magic too and turned me into a mermaid. She…" Her smile faded as she joined him again. "She understood why I want to be out here in the sea, said I was always meant to be more than just a human girl."

"Well, that was awfully nice of her to help you," Sora said. "Did she ask for anything in return?"

"Nope," Melody shook her head. "I guess she's just a nice person." He frowned and lowered his gaze in thought for a moment.

"Can I meet this woman?" he asked as he looked back up at her. "Maybe she can help me with another problem I'm having."

"Yeah, sure!" she grinned. "Follow me. I'll take you to her!" She swam off in the direction of a large cluster of icebergs, and he followed close behind her as he looked around the water. "Isn't this cool?" she asked as they navigated the ice. "Not stuck in the sand or just moving from side to side. I feel so free!"

"Yeah, it is cool," he agreed with a smile as he came up to her side. "But don't you worry about your parents? They must be worried sick about you." Melody slowed down and her smile faded.

"They wouldn't understand," she said dully. "I belong here in the sea, not stuck in the castle. It's like a completely different world here." She looked back over her shoulder to him. "Do you ever feel like that?" He smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yeah, I know the feeling." She smiled as well and looked forward again, pointing at a cavern in the ice up ahead. "She's in there." She picked up her pace and Sora followed, frowning as they entered. Melody immediately swam up to and hugged what appeared to be a mix of a squid and a woman, who looked surprised at Melody's suddenly appearance.

"Thank you, oh, thank you!" she looked up and grinned. "I love being a mermaid!" Melody's smile faded as she found the woman crying. "What… What's the matter?"

"Oh, Undertow, I'm such a failure," she said to the small fish nearby as she pulled away from Melody. "I should have known this would happen," she continued as she turned back to her visitor. "One taste and you're hooked."

"What's wrong?" Melody pressed as she followed the woman to a rocky face she laid down on.

"Oh, my dear…" the woman turned to her and shook her head. "There wasn't enough potion to make this a forever spell." Melody's eyes widened.

"Please," she grabbed onto the woman's arm. "There has to be something you can do. I don't want to go back to being an ordinary girl." Sora's hand crept up to his necklace, and he frowned.

"Oh, I'm not sure there's anything," the woman sobbed. "Well, unless-" she stopped short and covered her eyes with her hand. "No, no, what am I thinking? It's far too dangerous!"

"What's too dangerous?" Sora asked, and the woman bolted up in shock as she finally noticed him.

"Oh! I… Didn't realize we had another visitor." She frowned.

"Sorry about that," Melody said. "This is my friend Sora. Sora, this is Morgana."

"Nice to meet you," Sora said with a nod. "So what's the problem?"

"Well, I could make Melody's spell more permanent if…" She swung around one tentacle, creating an image from her ink. "If I had my magic trident. But it was stolen by a terrible heathen, and there's no one to get it back!" Once more, she started sobbing, and Sora frowned as Melody approached Morgana again.

"Maybe I could get it back for you," she said with a smile.

"Oh, darling," Morgana turned to her. "Would you really do that?"

"Well…" She looked over to her friend. "Sora, could I ask you to help me?"

"Yeah," Sora nodded. "If it got stolen, then it's only right we return it to its rightful owner."

"Bless you both," Morgana cried. "I couldn't ask for anything more!" She turned and retrieved something from behind the rock she sat on- a sheet of ice with a map carved into it. "Now. Here is where the scoundrel lives." Melody looked over the map, surprised.

"Atlantica? It's real?" she asked.

"Of course!" Morgana smiled. "Whoever told you otherwise?"

"My… Mother…" Melody replied softly as she looked down. "She said it was just an old fish tale."

"Oh, well… I'm sure she didn't mean to be cruel," Morgana said as she rested her hand on Melody's shoulder. Sora's eyes narrowed, but he stayed quiet for the moment. Melody shook her head and looked up again.

"So, if we get your trident back, you'll make me a mermaid forever?" she asked, and Morgana smiled.

"Even longer, if you'd like." Melody giggled and dipped her head.

"Okay. We'll get it back for you. You can count on me!" She quickly swam out for the ice cavern's entrance.

"Be careful, dear!" Morgana called back to her. "Enjoy those fins!"

"Miss Morgana," Sora beckoned, and she turned to him. "This heathen that stole your trident… Does he have any… monsters?"

"I'm not sure," Morgana replied. "But be careful, young man. I'd hate to see something happen to a nice boy like you. Please make sure Melody gets back here safely."

"I will," Sora nodded. "We'll be back soon." With that, he turned and headed out after Melody, catching up with her at the surface among the icebergs.

"Um… Do you know how to read a map?" she asked, turning to him as she turned the map to one side and another.

"Yeah," he chuckled and joined her. "But… Melody, are you sure we should do this?" he asked, and she looked up at him. "I don't know. Something about Morgana rubs me the wrong way."

"But look at all the things she's done for me," Melody pointed out, and he forced a smile.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Maybe I'm just paranoid." He held his hand out, and she gave him the map. "Now, let's get to Atlantica and get that trident back." He looked down at the map and studied it for a moment, then swam up to the sky. "Okay… So if the sun rises in the east, then…" He looked back down at the map and frowned. "That way." He pointed to the southeast and dove under the water, and she followed with a splash of her tail.

"This is gonna be fun, don't you think?" she asked, and he smiled and looked over his shoulder at her. "An undersea adventure! I've always dreamed about something like this."

"Then let's make the most of it," he replied with a grin. "Just don't go running off on me, okay?" She laughed and shook her head.

"Don't worry, I won't." She picked up her pace and pulled ahead of him. "Now let's hurry!"

The two shared plenty of bantering and confusion as they followed the map Morgana had given them, occasionally surfacing to check the direction they were going, and every now and again, Sora had to turn around and find Melody after she'd been distracted by some undersea cave or cliff to explore. But as the sun started to dip toward the horizon, they finally came across a golden castle under the waves, shimmering in the light that danced in the water. An awestruck smile crossed Melody's face as she stared at it.

"Atlantica…" she breathed. "It really is real!"

"It's beautiful," Sora agreed and frowned as he noticed several merfolk swimming around the castle. "We'll have to be careful not to get spotted, especially after we nab the trident."

"Right," she nodded. "Let's go." They started into Atlantica and swam around under several coral structures and around the spires. Melody looked around their surroundings with eyes filled with wonder, and Sora couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. But, in her distraction, she ran straight into the back of a merboy, who turned around, startled. Melody bit her lip and Sora clunked his forehead against one of the nearby spires.

"I'm sorry!" she said. "I just-"

"No, my fault," the merboy said at the same time. "Um… I don't think I've seen you around before. What's your name?"

"I'm… Mel-" her voice caught in her throat and her cheeks turned pink like her tail. "Mel…"

"Hey, guys!" the boy waved for a few other young merfolk to join him. "Meet Mel-Mel!"

"Hi," a mermaid greeted. "Do you want to hang out with us?" Melody started to nod, but Sora swam over quickly.

"Hey, sis," he interrupted. "Remember, we need to run that errand for Grandmother?" she blinked and stared at him, and he grimaced. "She asked us to pick up a few things, remember?"

"Oh, right," Melody nodded and turned to the other young merfolk. "Sorry."

"Nah, it's cool," the boy she'd run into said. "Maybe some other time." With that, Melody and Sora swam off and around a corner.

"Sorry about that," she said, looking down. "I just… I've never met a merperson before. Well, other than you. But I don't think you really count…?"

"Nah," he shook his head. "I understand. But you'll have plenty of time to hang out with them once we get Morgana's trident back." She nodded vigorously.

"Right, right. Let's go find it." She swam off toward a hall leading into the castle of Atlantica, and he followed close behind her. They came across what appeared to be a throne room, and sure enough, sitting in a pedestal was the trident they were looking for. Melody started toward it, but at the sound of approaching voices, they dove under a table that had been set up to the side. Melody peeked out from under the tablecloth as an older merman with a long white beard approached the throne and sat down within it.

"Is that the thief?" she whispered. "He doesn't look like some heathen." Sora frowned as he observed the merman, and he looked up as a seahorse came swimming up to him.

"King Triton, your daughter has returned," he announced. King Triton looked up and nodded, then swam up and out to the entrance hall.

"…King?" Sora thought aloud. "Is he… The sea king?" He looked down in thought. Was this the same sea king Sebastian had mentioned? Sebastian didn't seem like one to serve a thief.

"Sora!" Melody called softly, and he looked up to find her next to the trident.

"Melody, wait." He swam up to her. "I don't think-" But at the sound of voices approaching, she quickly grabbed hold of the trident and yanked on it, pulling it out of the pedestal.

"Come on!" she beckoned as she swam toward an opening in the walls, and he shook his head and followed close behind her.

"Melody," he said as he tried to keep up. "I'm not sure if…" But as they came across more open water, she stopped and he nearly ran into her. A loud growl sent waves through the water as a monstrous, shark-like creature appeared, staring at them with blank yellow eyes. Tendrils of darkness streamed off it, and on its forehead was a red and black symbol Sora had seen plenty of times in his studies.

"Heartless!" he quickly got in front of Melody and summoned his Keyblade. He shoved her to the side as the Heartless snapped at them. "Okay, Melody. Get out of here as quick as you can. I'll deal with this thing."

"But-" she started to protest, but he gave her a quick reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. I've been training for times just like this. Now go! I'll catch up." She chewed on her lip as he ducked around the Heartless and smacked it in the side of the head with his Keyblade, her grip tightening on the trident. "You don't have time for this!" he snapped. "It's okay. Really. Go!" She dipped her head to him.

"Thank you, Sora," she replied with an unsteady voice. "Be careful!" With that, she turned and swam off as fast as her tail would take her, and he turned back to the Heartless and readied his Keyblade.

"Alright, fish face," he said with a smirk. "Let's dance. I'm not going to fail Master Ven!"


	7. Chapter VI: The Sea Kingdom, Part III

Sora dove down as the Heartless lunged for him, snapping its powerful jaws that almost shaved a few scales off his tail. He raked the teeth of his Keyblade across its belly, earning a growl that resonated in the water around them. Sora kicked his tail and spun around to smack it in the side, and it lunged at him again. With a grunt, he blocked it, and it bit down on his Keyblade.

"Gah!" He held on tightly as the Heartless shook violently from side to side, trying to jerk the Keyblade away from him. He tightened his grip on the handle and focused as sparks appeared around it. "Thunder!" he commanded, sending a shock through the Heartless that dislodged it and left it dazed. He backed up a length, then powered forward and struck the Heartless square in its nose. Before it had time to recover, he circled around and under it, then stabbed his Keyblade into it, and with a howl, it burst into darkness that quickly dissipated.

Panting a bit, Sora looked around to make sure it didn't have any friends that would try to avenge it. Once he was sure it was clear, he dismissed his Keyblade and took a breath, trying to recall which way Melody had departed in.

"Are you okay?!" he heard a voice call, and he spun around to find a mermaid approaching him with King Triton followed close behind. The mermaid, however, surprised him. She looked exactly like Melody's mother. Judging by the curious look on her face, she thought he looked familiar as well. "Wait," she frowned. "Sora?"

"Yeah," he smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "But… Your Highness, I'm confused. I know I… Well, I used magic to get here. But what about you?"

"You're from the surface?" King Triton asked and turned to the mermaid. "Ariel, is this a friend of yours? Or perhaps of Melody's?"

"We met right before Melody ran away, Daddy," Ariel replied, then turned back to Sora. "I'm sorry you had to face that monster alone. Daddy wanted to help, but…"

"Someone has stolen my trident," King Triton finished, his bushy brow furrowed. "I can't shake the feeling this has something to do with Melody…" He shook his head as concern overtook his face. Sora blinked and frowned.

"Wait, so King Triton is your father, Your Highness?" he asked.

"Ariel," she told him with a nod.

"Right, Ariel…" He looked down and nearly started sinking. "That would mean… Melody is your granddaughter, sire. But…" He looked up again. "So Melody… She is meant to be in the sea. At least sort of." Guilt appeared in Ariel's eyes.

"Yes. I hated having to keep her away from it, but there's a horrible sea witch out there named Morgana who threatened to hurt her if we didn't give her the trident. The best way to protect her was to keep her away from the sea." Sora's eyes widened.

"Uh oh…" He bit his lip as Ariel and King Triton both gazed at him. "Um… King Triton…" He bowed. "I know where your trident is. Melody is taking it to Morgana." King Triton's anger quickly made itself apparent on his face.

"Wait, Melody was here?!" Ariel interrupted before her father could erupt. "How is that even possible?"

"When she ran away, she took a boat. I used my magic to follow her underwater, and by the time I caught up, she had met Morgana, who had used magic of her own to turn Melody into a mermaid." Ariel placed her hand over her chest, concern for her daughter making her distraught. "But Morgana said it was only a temporary spell, and then told us that she could make it permanent if we got back the trident that had been stolen from her." He bowed his head again. "King Triton, I… Neither of us had any idea. I'm so sorry."

"Never mind that," King Triton said. "We have to find Melody before she reaches Morgana. She's in danger, and if Morgana gets her hands on the trident…" He shook his head and his gaze nearly burned through Sora. "Can you show us to where Morgana is hiding?"

"Yes, sire, of course," Sora replied with a vigorous nod. King Triton turned around and raised his voice.

"Gather all soldiers!" he bellowed. "Morgana has been found!" He turned back to Sora and nodded, and Sora started off in the direction he and Melody had come from.

"Um… Your Highness, Ariel," he said, looking over his shoulder as she followed close behind him. "I really didn't know what Morgana was up to. I had a bad feeling about it, but… I just wanted to make sure Melody was okay. We got separated when that Heartless attacked, and I told her to go on ahead without me so I could keep it off her tail. I…"

"Don't worry, Sora," she told him with a gentle smile, though he could still see her worry in her eyes. "You found Melody when the rest of us couldn't, and I'm grateful to you for keeping her safe while you could." She paused and lost focus. "We just have to hope we find her in time." Sora nodded again and picked up his pace.

By the time they reached the icebergs near Morgana's hideout, Sora's tail hurt with exhaustion, and he panted a bit as he pointed at the cave ahead.

"She's in there," he reported.

"Morgana could have a trap waiting for us," Ariel thought aloud, turning to her father. "Daddy… Let me go in and find Melody. If Morgana does have something planned, maybe I can at least force her out of hiding." King Triton frowned and touched his fingers under his daughter's chin, and she gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'll be okay."

"Let me go with you," Sora urged, summoning his Keyblade. "I can handle anything she throws at me, and this is at least kind of my fault. Let me help." Ariel nodded, and she hugged her father before following Sora into the cave. As they swam toward it, Sora looked up through the water's surface to the light of Kingdom Hearts shining above, and silently asked his master to lend him strength.

"Oh, you sweet child!" he heard Morgana all but squealing as they entered the cave. "Thank you so much. But what happened to your friend?"

"There was this monster that attacked us," Melody replied. "He stayed behind to fight it so I could get away." There was a bit of a waver to his voice. "Can we go back and find him?"

"Oh, I'm sure he's fine," Morgana scoffed, and Sora frowned. "Now, let me have my trident."

"Melody, no!" Ariel cried as she swam up, and Melody whirled around with the trident in her hands.

"Mom?!" She looked stunned. "You're… You're a mermaid?"

"Just another secret she kept from you," Morgana said, and Melody's grip on the trident tightened.

"Melody, listen to me," Ariel pleaded. "I'm sorry for keeping so much from you, but I was only trying to keep you safe."

"More like keep you imprisoned," Morgana continued with a smile. "Poor dear with a mother that doesn't trust her… Just hand me the trident and I can make all of this go away."

"Melody, please," Ariel swam a bit closer to her daughter. "If there was one thing I could do differently, I would never have-" She stopped as Melody jerked back toward Morgana.

"Too late, Mom," she said in a low voice, and Ariel cried her name as she handed the trident to Morgana. The sea witch snatched it away from her and began laughing maniacally, and Melody looked up at her with growing fear.

"Melody!" Sora swam up between her and Morgana and readied his Keyblade.

"Poor, foolish girl," Morgana chortled. "Do you know why you were kept away from the sea? To protect you from me!" Power crackled around the trident and she swung it forward, knocking Sora to the side. Melody called his same as he hit the rock wall, leaving him dazed for a moment. Before Ariel could reach her daughter, one of Morgana's tentacles whipped out and caught her, pulling her in and immobilizing her.

"Mom!" Melody cried as she swam up and grabbed hold of Morgana's arm, but the witch swatted her back into an underwater cave nearby.

"Oh, dear." Morgana's voice dripped with mock sincerity. "Little Melody's been a very naughty girl, stealing from her own grandfather." Melody blinked and stared at the witch.

"My… grandfather?" Morgana's lips curled into a sinister smile as the trident rippled with power, and she used it to craft a thick sheet of ice that sealed off the cave.

"You'll simply have to wait here," she said. "I have bigger fish to fry." Her smile grew. "Oh, I almost forgot. Your time as a mermaid has just about expired." With that, she finished the seal and swam off with Ariel in tow, and Melody pounded on the ice in an attempt to break through. Sora shook his head quickly as he collected himself and swam up to it, placing his hands on it and shoving against it.

"Don't worry, Melody," he said as he summoned his Keyblade again and tried to chip away at the ice. "I'll find a way to get you out of there. Just hang on!"

"Sora, I'm so sorry," Melody said with a strain in her voice. "This is all my fault… I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

"Eh, what are friends for?" He kept his voice light in an attempt to help console her, and whacked the ice with his Keyblade, barely making a scratch. "Okay, this isn't getting anywhere…" He frowned. "Hold on, Melody. I'm going to get help. I'll be right back!"

"Thank you, Sora." Though she sounded sincere, he could hear the fear in her voice. "Please, be careful!"

"I will," he replied. "Be back in a moment." With that, he turned and kicked his tail, propelling himself forward to the mouth of the cave.

He looked up with wide eyes as he found Morgana had crafted herself a fortress of ice and positioned herself at the top as more and more spires rose from the water, glinting in the last light of the sun. She still had Ariel wrapped up in one tentacle.

"Morgana!" He heard King Triton bellow. "Release my daughter! Surrender my granddaughter! And you will be spared."

"Oh, what are you gonna do?" Morgana challenged. "Throw the crab at me?" She cackled and lifted the trident. "Face it, Triton! You've lost!" Sora clenched his fists and started forward, but he came to a halt as he sensed something behind him. He turned around slowly to find a giant shark grinning at him.

"Well, well, the other fish fry," he taunted. "Look who's puny now!"  
"Um…" Sora forced a smile. "Not you, Undertow. Have you been working out?" Undertow opened his mouth up wide, revealing his large and incredibly sharp teeth, and Sora yelped as the shark snapped at him.

"Not again…" he sighed as he summoned his Keyblade and swam off with Undertow hairs away from his tail. He dove down and lurched his tail forward as Undertow snapped at him again. He jerked himself to the side and frowned as Undertow followed him, and, somehow, an idea started to form in his head. He smacked Undertow in the nose with his Keyblade, earning a bone-chilling growl. Sora swam as quickly as he could back into the cave with Undertow close behind, and he aimed straight for the ice wall keeping Melody captive.

"Melody!" he called out as he heard frantic pounding on the ice. "If you can hear me, get out of the way!" About two heartbeats later, he positioned himself between the wall and the shark, and in the last possible moment, he shot down and out of the way. Undertow smashed through the ice wall and into the stone behind it, stunning him. He started to sink, leaving cracks in the rock. Sora panted a bit, dismissing his Keyblade once he had assured the shark wouldn't be going anywhere.

"Melody?" he looked around, and his heart about stopped as he found her on the rock bed. She had lost her tail, reverting to her old human self, and with that, she wasn't moving. "Melody!" He dove down and hoisted her up in his arms, then pulled her up to the surface and outside. She sputtered as he maneuvered to help her onto one of the bigger icebergs, ignoring the crackle of lightning overhead that Morgana had called. "Melody?" he called again, and she coughed violently and spat out some seawater as she sat up, shaking a bit.

"Sora," she rasped, and he smiled with relief.

"Thank goodness," he said. "Are you okay?"

"Fools!" They both looked up in alarm as Morgana raised the trident up. "All the seas will bow to my power!" She shot forth beams of energy at the sea creatures that had come to the surface to challenge her, including King Triton's soldiers. "Bow down!" she ordered as she forced them down. "Bow down before me!" She aimed a blast at Triton, and though he fought back against it, it overpowered him. With grief on his face, he bowed to her.

"See that, Ma?!" Morgana demanded of the sky. "Who's your favorite now?!" She turned back to the sea dwellers that she had forced into submission, taking aim at the stragglers.

"No!" Melody got to her feet and raced off toward the rising spires around Morgana's fortress. Sora called after her, but she didn't falter, and she jumped up to grab on to one of the spires as it continued to grow toward the sky.

"You all are mine now," Morgana snapped. "The end has come for all of you with fins!" Sora blinked.

"Fins?" He looked down at his tail, then at his necklace, and he sighed. "Duh." He dove down again, then powered up and launched himself out of the water, focusing on his magic that enveloped his body and returned him to his natural human form, and he tucked in and rolled as he landed on the ice. "Whoa…" He wobbled as he stood up again, then summoned his Keyblade and took off after Melody. He jumped up and caught his Keyblade on a rising spire, letting it lift him into the air, and he looked up to find Melody jumping from one arch or spire to another. She ducked under one of Morgana's swinging tentacles and looked around for some way to reach the top without alerting the witch. Sora took aim with his Keyblade and focused, and flames crackled around it.

"Fire!" he cast, sending the ball of flame toward Morgana. It scored a direct hit and singed her tentacles, and she growled as she turned her furious gaze on him.

"You," she snapped. "I figured you were shark chow! And how did you turn yourself human?!"

"That's for me to know," Sora replied. "And for you to never find out!" She raised the trident and pointed it at him, and he ducked and jumped to another arch to dodge the blast of magic from it. Melody climbed up behind the witch and nodded to Sora, and he lifted his Keyblade was the air stirred around it.

"Wind!" He threw the Keyblade forward and knocked Morgana off balance, and Melody lunged and snatched the trident from her grasp, ducking and rolling with it. Morgana, in her anger, threw Ariel, who called out for her daughter as she adjusted herself into a dive to the water below.

"Hand me the trident," Morgana ordered, holding her hand out, and Melody's brow furrowed.

"Stay back!" she snapped as she pointed the handle of the trident at the witch, who only laughed and shoved it away.

"Wrong end, _sweetheart,_ " she said and reached for Melody. But Melody took the trident and stabbed it into one of the witch's tentacles, earning a howl of pain. Morgana grit her teeth and pulled the injured tentacle up to inspect it.

"Grandfather!" Melody called. "I think this belongs to you!" She threw the trident away, and Morgana shoved her away in an attempt to grab it, but it slipped away from her and fell toward King Triton. Melody cried out as she found herself plummeting between the spires toward the ice and water below.

"Melody!" Sora called and tossed up his Keyblade as Ventus had taught him to do. It flashed and changed shape, forming a glider shaped similar to a skateboard with a separate handle behind it. He leapt up and landed on it, taking hold of the handle and pushing it back to propel it forward. He dove down and leveled out near the water, and let out a grunt as Melody landed in his arms and almost knocked him off the glider.

"Don't worry," he huffed as he regained his balance. "I've got you." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his chest, shaking with adrenaline.

"Morgana!" King Triton bellowed. "Never again will you threaten my family or harm my ocean. May you stay trapped in the darkest abyss for eternity!" A blast from the trident launched forward and struck Morgana, and she cried out as ice encased her, trapping her. The icy fortress began to collapse, and with it, the frozen sea witch crashed into the ocean and sunk into the darkness below. Sora panted a bit as he watched her disappear, and silence overtook the sea and ice as the waves from the falling ice calmed.

"It's over," he breathed, and Melody looked down and nodded. He flew his glider down to a larger glacier where Ariel and King Triton met them, and as soon as he set Melody on her feet, she ran over to her mother and embraced her.

"Oh, Mom…" she sobbed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen." She leaned back a bit and looked to King Triton. "I'm sorry for stealing your trident, Grandfather. I just…" She looked down. "I just wanted to be part of the sea."

"Melody," King Triton said gently, opening his arm, and she approached him. "I understand your desire to live among the merfolk. And thanks to you and your friend, Morgana will never again trouble us. You'll be safe now." He smiled. "And so, I'm going to give you a very special choice. You can come to Atlantica with me, or you can return to your life on land." She looked back to her mother, who gave her a sad smile. Melody turned back to her grandfather and grinned.

"I have a better idea," she replied, then looked over to Ariel again. "Is it okay to finally get rid of that wall?" Ariel's smile grew warmly.

"Of course," she said as her daughter returned to her. "Let's bring our worlds back together- land and sea."

Sora smiled as he observed the family, then looked up at the sky and Kingdom Hearts. Peace had returned to this world. He nodded in approval and turned away to take his leave, and he started across the ice as he summoned his Keyblade to find another path between the worlds.

"What a mess you made."

He spun around to find a figure in a long black coat standing nearby, arms crossed. The figure appeared male, just as his voice sounded, but he had a hood up that hid his features.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Sora asked carefully.

"You first," the figure replied. The young Keyblade apprentice narrowed his eyes and summoned Oathkeeper.

"My name is Sora," he said. "I'm the son of Master Riku and Kairi, and apprentice to the χ-Blade Master, Ventus."

"Oh, really?" the figure asked, and his voice dripped with sarcasm. "I wonder what your master would have to say if he knew all the trouble you caused in the first world you visited by yourself."

"What do you mean?" Sora demanded, tensing a bit.

"You nearly let the object of power in this world fall into the hands of a crazy sea witch," the figure said, crossing his arms. "Because you didn't stop and think. Thanks to you 'helping' that girl, this entire world almost fell into chaos."

"But I fixed my mistakes," Sora replied defensively. "And now things are better. They won't be separated anymore. And Morgana won't be any more trouble."

"Hmph," the figure shook his head. "Lucky break. But if you keep being that reckless, it'll only end in disaster."

"Who are you?" Sora demanded. "What makes you think you can criticize me like this?"

"Because I know the truth about you," the figure said, and Sora blinked. "How you're a fake."

"Excuse me?!" Sora readied his Keyblade. "What's your problem? Who _are_ you?!" The figure stayed silent for a moment.

"If you want a fight that badly, I guess I can oblige." He lifted his hand, and from the shadows around him, several Heartless appeared. "Try not to get destroyed." With that, a Dark Corridor erupted behind him, and he turned and vanished within it. Sora started to follow, but the Heartless lunged for him and cut him off.

"Out of my way!" he snapped, slashing his Keyblade through the nearest one and destroying it. He jumped up and light enveloped his Keyblade, and he stabbed it into the ground. Light shot up all around him, and the remaining Heartless either fell or retreated. He straightened up and frowned. "That was too easy…" He looked over to the spot the figure had disappeared in. "Who was that guy?" He looked down in thought, then shook his head and started off for the nearest path leading to another world.


	8. Chapter VII: The Lost World, Part I

After traveling through the paths between worlds, Sora emerged to find himself in a dark cavern, stuck between two rocks that hid the entrance he had come through. He exhaled and squeezed his way between the rocks, emerging into a large underground cave lit slightly by magma far below. There were rock formations creating bridges and paths through the cave, and he peered through as he caught sight of a campfire a short distance away. He started toward it, but came to a quick halt as he heard steps behind him.

"Don't move," a curt female voice ordered as he felt something press against the back of his head. He lifted his hands and arched forward a bit.

"Um… hi?" he said, slowly turning toward her and finding it had been the barrel of a gun she had aimed at him that had poked his head. The woman was dressed for combat with her blond hair up in a tight bun, and she glared at him.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"My name is Sora," he said, and she frowned as she looked over him and lowered the gun.

"How did a child like you get here?" she asked. "What do you know about Atlantis?"

"Atlantis?" he tilted his head. "Never heard of it." She didn't appear to believe him.

"Come on," she shoved him toward the camp nearby. "You can talk to Commander Roarke about it." He stumbled and started toward the camp, rubbing the back of his head a bit.

"Oh boy…" he muttered under his breath. "What have I gotten into?" He picked up his pace at a stern look from the woman escorting him and quickly made his way over to the camp, where several people looked up as he approached. They were an interesting mix, from a mustached man fiddling with a stick of dynamite to a girl dressed in oil-stained overalls and a… Sora was pretty sure that was a man covered in dirt with strange glasses.

"What's a kid doing down here?" the girl asked, arching one eyebrow. The man covered in dirt quickly skittered over to Sora, who backed up in alarm as he started sniffing him.

"Sea water," he said in a slightly raspy voice with a wild look. "Sediment. Usually found in deep oceans!"

"Okay, Mole, give the boy a break," a tall, well built man said with a warm smile as he approached. "Don't mind him. What's your name, kid?"  
"Sora," the young Keyblade wielder replied. "So what are you all doing in this cave?"  
"Cave!" Mole snorted. "This is a volcanic vent that's been around for thousands of years and-"

"Mole, Mole!" the other man said. " Relax. Go play with your rocks." Mole grumbled something and returned to his place by the fire, picking up several stones and biting one of them.

"Enough pleasantries," Sora's escort ordered. "Where is Commander Roarke?"

"What have we here?" A middle-aged man with a sharp jaw line and a strong build inquired as he approached from one of the tents. "Helga, who is this boy?"

"He says his name is Sora, sir," Helga replied. "I found him snooping around one of the crevices nearby."

"I see," Roarke said with a bit of a grimace. "Where are you from, Sora? What do you know about Atlantis?"

"What is 'Atlantis?'" Sora asked, frowning, and he resisted flinching under Roarke's icy gaze. "No, seriously. I have no idea what that is."

"Then where did you come from?" the girl asked. "You weren't one of ours."

"Are you from another world?" the other man wondered, and Sora blinked. The man grinned. "Yep, that's it, isn't it?"

"How did you know?" Sora asked, turning back to the commander.

"We mounted an expedition to search for the lost world of Atlantis," Roarke said. "This is dangerous work, Sora. You'd best go back to where you came from." Sora frowned. But before he could say anything else, he looked up to find a swarm of Heartless that looked something like lantern fish coming at them.

"Case in point!" Helga snapped and raised her gun, and Sora summoned his Keyblade. "Protect the camp! Where in God's name is Milo?!"

"Uh, over here, ma'am!" Sora glanced over to find a skinny young man stumbling toward them, trying to fasten his belt all while holding a book of some kind.

"Thatch, what are these things?" Roarke demanded as he aimed a gun of his own and fired at one of their dive-bombing assailants.

"They're called Heartless," Sora called at him as he jumped up and slashed his Keyblade through the nearest one.

"What the heck is a 'Heartless?'" the girl inquired as she smacked one on the head with a hefty wrench. Sora flinched at the sound of gunfire and steeled himself again, and he flipped his Keyblade quickly as light enveloped it. He thrust it skyward and several bright beams of light erupted around him, and once it died down, the Heartless were nowhere to be seen. Sora panted a bit and straightened up as he dismissed his Keyblade, then turned around to find the expedition members all staring at him.

"Um," he smiled slightly. "You're welcome?"

"Wow," Helga nodded slightly. "Impressive. Maybe you're not as helpless as we thought."

"Indeed," Roarke agreed as he replaced his gun in the holster at his hip. "What do you say, Sora? Would you be willing to accompany us to Atlantis? We'll make it worth your while." Sora pursed his lips in thought and crossed his arms.

"Okay," he nodded. "Provided you tell me more about this 'Atlantis' and why you're looking for it. If you're world travelers…" He stopped himself. Ventus would want to know what these people were up to, but he wasn't entirely certain he trusted them. Perhaps it would be better if he didn't tell them about his master, at least not all of them.

"Excellent." Roarke gave him an approving nod. "Welcome aboard, Sora. Milo over there will get you caught up on what we're looking for." Sora looked over to find Milo waving, though he quickly adjusted his round glasses and looked down as he flipped through his book. Sora walked over to him, and Milo motioned for him to follow. He led the young Keyblade wielder a bit further away from the rest of the group, then turned to him and looked like he was about to swoon.

"Wow, that was absolutely amazing," he said with a grin. "Oh, right. I should properly introduce myself." He held out his hand. "I'm Milo Thatch. I guess you could call me the historian and guide of this expedition."

"I'm Sora," the wielder replied as he shook Milo's hand. "So what all are you looking for?"

"Legend has it that there was once a powerful kingdom with technology more advanced than anything we've ever known," Milo explained as he sat down, and Sora joined him. "The kingdom of Atlantis. But during a great cataclysm, Atlantis was lost, locked away from anyone or anything else that tried to reach it. But… Maybe we can find the source of their technology and power." He flipped to a page in the book he held and showed it to Sora. "The Heart of Atlantis." Sora blinked and his eyes widened. The sketch in the book… It appeared to shine with great light and power.  
"The Heart of Atlantis…" Sora echoed. Could it really be Atlantis's heart? "What is this book, anyway?"

"This is the Shepherd's Journal," Milo replied. "My grandfather once found it and left it for me. It's the key to finding Atlantis." He paused. "Speaking of Keys…" He flipped to another page. "That Key you have. Is that a Keyblade?"  
"You know about Keyblades?" Sora asked as he summoned Oathkeeper. Milo's eyes sparkled with fascination as he looked it over.  
"Yeah, that's it!" He looked down at the Journal again. "The Keyblade… There's some writing in here that tells of a great Keyblade War. I think that might have something to do with the cataclysm that sealed Atlantis away. And… Here." He flipped the page again and held out the book for Sora to see, and he immediately recognized the blade depicted in a rather messy and hasty sketch. "This says something about the… The 'Kye-blade?'"  
"χ-Blade," Sora breathed. "It's pronounced 'key.' Like other Keyblades, but… It's something very different." He looked up to Milo again. "You know that heart-shaped moon in the sky?"

"Yeah," Milo nodded. "Is that Kingdom Hearts?" Sora nodded. "The Journal talks about it a little bit… Says it's a source of great light, and that the… You said the χ-Blade? That the χ-Blade is tied to it. I don't know much else about it."

"The χ-Blade is the key to Kingdom Hearts," Sora said, then lowered his voice to assure the others couldn't hear him. Somehow, he believed that he could trust Milo. But the others, he wasn't so sure. "Some say it was the source of the Keyblade War. Keyblade wielders used to be protectors of light, but over time, they began to fight over it, and Kingdom Hearts itself. The war eventually spread and became so violent that darkness overtook the World, and Kingdom Hearts was lost within it. The χ-Blade was shattered and the World was nearly lost, but the light left in the hearts of children managed to bring it back, instead creating all the smaller worlds we know today."

"Wow…" Milo breathed and looked to his Journal again. "But that moon… Kingdom Hearts. That's the same one?"  
"Yeah," Sora nodded.

"I remember it appearing from nowhere when I was a child," Milo said. "I had no idea it was the same thing."

"Kingdom Hearts reappeared when the χ-Blade was reforged," Sora went on. "And when it did, my master became the one to wield it, and he uses it to protect Kingdom Hearts." Milo blinked.

"Wait, wait, wait. Back up. Your… Master? Your master has the χ-Blade?" Sora smiled and nodded again.

"Master Ventus," he said. "He's the reason the worlds were connected again. I use the paths he created to travel between worlds. And that's probably what you used to get here." Milo nodded. "Milo… If we do find Atlantis, let me know if you find the Heart. I…" He frowned. "I don't trust Commander Roarke. There's something about him… The only way I can describe it is that I sense darkness in his heart."

"I know he's a little rough around the edges, but he's a good guy," Milo assured him. Sora nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, you're probably right. And I shouldn't be so quick to judge someone based on their darkness. I'd never hear the end of it from my dad." He shrugged.

"Milo, Sora!" They both looked up to find Helga approaching them. "Try to get some sleep. We'll be mobilizing again in eight hours."

"Understood," Milo nodded, then turned back to Sora. "We should probably get some shut-eye. According to my calculations from the Journal, we should be getting close to Atlantis." He grinned. "I'm so excited. Who knows what we'll find there?"

"We'll find out soon enough," Sora replied, then looked down at his Keyblade and the Wayfinder dangling from it. "I just hope the Heartless let us search in peace." With that, he dismissed his Keyblade and stood up, then followed Milo back toward the campfire.  
"I don't take up much room, so you're welcome to stay in my tent with me," he said with a smile, and Sora nodded.

"Okay, thank you. And would you mind if I took a look at that Journal?"  
"Not at all," Milo replied and handed it to him. "Knock yourself out. And let me know if you have any questions." Sora nodded again as they came to the tent. Milo let out a yawn and stretched. "Well, I'm gonna turn in. Don't stay up too late."

"I won't," Sora replied. "Thanks, Milo." With that, Milo crawled into the tent and Sora sat down outside it, and he opened the Journal to a random page.

 _I wonder who wrote this,_ he thought as he flipped through it, coming back across the hasty sketch of the χ-Blade. _Did Atlantis survive the Keyblade War? Or is there anything left to find?_ He sighed and looked over the Journal, hoping perhaps it would be able to give him some sort of answers. But as he looked over a lot of text he couldn't understand, his mind drifted back to the figure in the black coat. 

_"If you keep being that reckless, it'll only end in disaster."_

 _Is he right?_ Sora couldn't help but wonder. Had he made a mistake in joining these people? He looked up and closed his eyes, silently hoping his master would somehow tell him what he should be doing. But within this volcanic vent, he couldn't see Kingdom Hearts, and without it, he realized he suddenly felt very alone.


	9. Chapter VIII: The Lost World, Part II

"Mmrph," Sora grumbled at the sound of odd scrambling, and he opened his eyes to find Milo stumbling away from the tent. The young Keyblade wielder yawned and stretched his neck, stiff from having fallen asleep on the rock floor with the Shepherd's Journal underneath him, still open. He looked around, groggy, as he picked up the book and dusted it off. He had no way of measuring time in this cavern, but it didn't appear that anyone else was awake yet. He looked up as the beam of Milo's flashlight waved around, and he followed its beam to some sort of lamp high above the camp. Upon further inspection, however, he realized that something was moving within the lamp.

From inside, countless small lights like fireflies emerged and descended toward the camp. Sora watched, curious, as they flew along, and he smiled. They reminded him of the stars in the night sky that he watched back home. But, as soon as they reached the camp, they dove down, and Milo's tent quickly caught fire. Sora's heart dropped as he scrambled up, clutching the Journal close to his chest.

"F-Fire," he croaked, then cleared his throat. "Fire!"

"FIRE!" Milo echoed as he scrambled back to the camp. Sora glanced over to him, then around the rest of the camp to find the crew emerging from their tents in a frantic attempt to save their supplies.

"What happened?!" Commander Roarke demanded, but he dropped it quickly as he went to assist Helga in trying to load up one of their vehicles. "Never mind. Everyone, move out!" Sora hurried over to rejoin Milo and handed him the Journal, then summoned his Keyblade as the fireflies came toward the crew. He focused his magic and pointed his Keyblade skyward.

"Wind!" he called, casting a spell of Aerora that sent the fireflies spiraling up and away from the crew, leaving them enough time to finish loading themselves and the supplies into their vehicles. He jumped onto the back of one and held on with one hand, his other still gripping his Keyblade. The fireflies didn't pursue, but instead simply finished their task of setting the remains of the camp to flame.

"Keep moving!" Roarke commanded. "The more distance we put between us and those bugs, the better!" Sora's grip on the vehicle tightened as he heard a crack, and he peered over to the ground to see breaks forming in the rock bridge they were moving across.

"Uh, Commander?" he called as the cracks ran across the stone surface.  
"Audrey! Get us out of here!" Roarke snapped, and though the engines roared as they tried to move the vehicles forward, the rock bridge could not take the weight. It cracked and crumbled, sending stone and metal crashing down. Sora yelped as his grip on the vehicle slipped, and he found himself falling with rocks around him. He quickly transformed his Keyblade into his glider and sped away from the falling debris, dodging around several larger stones that had been upset by the breaking bridge.

He coughed as dust swirled in the air, and as the final stones fell to the ground below, everything fell eerily silent. Then, heartbeats later, he heard the crew making their way out of the rubble, coughing and grunting as they scraped through. He frowned as he sped back toward the group, peering through the dust, and he found a group of figures moving through the cavern. He frowned as he observed them. They moved much more fluidly than he had seen the crew travel, familiar with the terrain, and upon closer inspection, he realized they appeared to be carrying weapons. He followed them and watched one slip into a crack, and a few moments later, a light illuminated from within it. Then, almost as quickly, the figure reemerged and sped off into the darkness. To Sora's surprise, he found Milo climbing out of the crack a few moments later, shouting after it, and he quickly flew down to meet him.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he jumped off his glider and dismissed it. Milo absentmindedly nodded, staring off in the direction the figure had run off in. "Who was that?"

"I don't know," he replied. "A girl, a young woman… She had this crystal thing that she used to heal a cut on my shoulder." He lifted his hand and covered his opposite shoulder. "Where did she come from?"

"Milo!" Commander Roarke nearly bellowed. "Sora! Where are you?!"

"Over here!" Sora called back. "We're okay!" He turned back to Milo. "We should probably get back to the group." Milo nodded and shook his head briefly, then joined the young Keyblade wielder as they climbed over the rocks to rejoin the group. As far as Sora could tell, everyone had made it through with only a few minor cuts and bruises.

"Sheesh," Audrey rubbed her neck. "That was fun."

"Everybody okay?" A doctor they called Sweet asked, checking over everyone whether they wanted him to or not.

"Only way to go now is forward," Helga said as Sweet went about his business. She looked up and frowned. "Looks like that could be a way out up there." Mole started sniffing around, grunting.

"We're in a dormant volcanic vent," he reported as he studied the rocks. "An explosive force of great magnitude could wake it up." The group turned to glance at Vinny, their demolitions expert.

"Well, if a crash like that didn't do it, I'd say we're safe," Roarke remarked. "If we could blow the top off that thing, we'd have a straight shot to the surface." He shook his head. "Let's get moving." They gathered up what supplies they could salvage and started forward once again, and Sora frowned as he watched them go.

"You okay, Sora?" Milo wondered, turning to him. Sora nodded.

"Yeah, just…" He looked up at the broken bridge. "Wondering if this is a good idea."

"Mm…" Milo took a breath. "Not much we can do about it now." Sora sighed inwardly and picked up his pace to catch up with the rest of their group. They traveled in relative silence save the rumbling of the digger that had survived and Mole chattering on about the ash and magma. Sora frowned as he peered ahead, finding a shaft of light in the darkness of the cave, and murmurs from the group drifted through the air as they dug through it. All of them, Sora included, stopped and stared with mouths agape at what they found.

Giant waterfalls poured down into a river of lava, creating billowing clouds of mist, and over the cliff they came from stood a stone city. Sora's eyes widened as he looked around, and as he craned his neck skyward, he smiled slightly as he caught a glimpse of the light of Kingdom Hearts making its way through.

"It's beautiful," Audrey said, awestruck, and Sweet smiled as he slapped Milo on the back.

"I gotta hand it to you Milo," he said. "You really came through." Sora blinked, however, as he heard some sort of scuffling behind them. Several figures in large masks jumped down, pointing spears of some kind at them. The group shifted closer together as Roarke and Helga started to draw their guns, and Sora's hand twitched at the ready to summon his Keyblade.

"I take that back," Sweet remarked.

"Holy cats, who are these guys?" Roarke demanded, more confused than afraid. A smile slowly grew on Milo's face.

"They've gotta be Atlanteans," he replied as his grin widened.

"What?" Helga hissed. "That's impossible!" Sora stared at the figures, and one of them stepped closer and started saying something to them. From the voice, Sora assumed this one was a woman, though he had absolutely no idea what she was saying. He could guess from her tone that they weren't entirely welcome.

"I think it's talking to you," Mole said, nudging Milo's arm. The woman continued on, earning stares from the crew. Milo took a breath and squinted one eye in concentration, and he began to reply in the same language that she spoke. His words were slow and hesitant as he tried to translate in his mind, but some message must have been getting through, as the woman removed her mask. She appeared young, maybe around Milo's age and perhaps six or seven years older than Sora, and she had snow white hair, blue eyes, and dark skin. From her neck hung some sort of crystal on a cord, and Sora gazed at it curiously. Something about it felt strange to him.

The woman continued speaking and Milo tried to carry on the conversation, though from the sound of it, they were changing languages. Milo said something and she replied, and Mole got rather excited.

"Ah, they speak my language!" he clapped his hands together and scrambled to her, then said something that earned a solid punch to the face. Sweet and Audrey snickered as he got up in a delirious daze. Apparently this punch broke the ice between the groups, as they began to mix together and attempted to converse.

"How do they know all these languages?" Audrey wondered.

"Their language must be based in a root dialect," Milo replied.

"Well, maybe English is in there somewhere," Roarke remarked, then approached the woman who appeared to be the Atlanteans' leader.

"We are explorers from another world," he said in a clear voice. "We come in peace." The Atlanteans smiled.

"Welcome to the city of Atlantis," the woman said with a smile, and she gestured to the great stone city atop the waterfalls. "Come. You will speak with my father now." Both Roarke and Milo nodded, and they started across a bridge that had been built between the cliff they stood on and the city itself. Sora glanced over their escorts, noticing that each one wore a crystal that glowed with a soft blue light. He couldn't shake that there was something strange about them, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"You ever seen anything like this?" Milo asked him, shaking him from his thoughts.

"Huh?" he asked.

"You said you travel the worlds. Have you ever seen something as incredible as this?" Sora couldn't help but smile at the sight of Milo's ecstatic grin.

"Well, my home world is nothing to sneeze at," he said as he looked up at the city. "But I have to admit this is pretty amazing." Milo nodded and returned his attention to the Shepherd's Journal in his hands, and he started on about how the Atlantean language must have worked. Sora's mind drifted again, and he didn't bother trying to keep up with what the young man was saying, especially when he was talking so fast.

The Atlanteans eventually brought their visitors to what appeared to be a mix of a shrine and a castle, and two guards stood at attention in front of large stone double doors. They stepped aside and nodded to the woman leading them, and the group came across a beautiful watery garden. Across the water was a simple throne draped with rich red fabric, and in this throne sat an elderly man. As they approached him, the woman knelt down and bowed to him, and Milo did the same after a moment. Sora looked up, then bowed as well.

The woman began speaking with whom Sora figured was the king of Atlantis, and she spoke in their own native language that he couldn't understand. The king replied in the same language through a raspy old voice, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking. As Sora observed him, he noticed that the king appeared to be blind, and yet he didn't appear to have any trouble "seeing" the visitors.

"Your Majesty," Roarke spoke up and spread his arms. "We are most grateful that you have welcomed us into your city."

"Uh, Commander," Milo muttered, but Roarke ignored him. The king lifted his blind gaze up to the leader of the expedition.

"You presume much if you believe that you are welcome here," he replied in the same old voice. "Outsiders are forbidden in Atlantis."

"Sire, please," Roarke continued. "We are men of science. We come looking only for knowledge."

"Yet you bring weapons," the king retorted, his empty gaze falling on the gun Roarke kept in the holster at his hip.

"Our weapons are only to remove obstacles in our path," Roarke insisted. "We have traveled a long way, and we only seek-"

"I know what you seek," the king interrupted and slowly got to his feet. "But you will not find it here. You will leave my city at once." Roarke hesitated for a moment, then took a slight step forward.

"Very well. But, Your Majesty, would you allow us one night? We need to rest and resupply. We'll leave in the morning." The king's gaze darkened for a moment.

"Mm…" he grumbled as he sat back down. "Very well. One night."

"Thank you, sire," Roarke dipped his head. "You are most gracious." He turned to his crew. "Come on, men. Let us go." They turned for the door that they came through, and Sora heard the woman arguing with the king for a moment longer as he started away. He frowned as he looked down at the water, and he felt something in his hand twitch. His mind drifted back to the Shepherd's Journal and what Milo had told him- Atlantis had supposedly been lost during the Keyblade War, and yet here it was, its people thriving. He stepped to the side and lost himself in the shadows, hoping no one would immediately notice his absence. Milo seemed preoccupied with everything going on and the exchange between their guide and the king, and everyone else didn't pay much heed to the boy. He waited until the guards had closed the door with the crew on the other side, then made his way back toward the king.

"Um, Your Majesty?" he asked as he knelt down. The king's gaze may have been blind, but Sora still felt it burn into him.

"Why do you remain?" the king rasped. "Go with your companions. I have nothing more to say to you."

"Please, sire, I ask for just a moment of your time." Speaking in such formal words felt strange to him, but he didn't want to risk any disrespect. The king didn't reply, and he took that as a cue to continue. "I didn't come here with Commander Roarke and his team. I'm from another world, but not the same one as them." He paused and chewed his lip for a moment. "My name is Sora. I'm the apprentice of the χ-Blade Master, Ventus." At this, the king stiffened slightly.

"You are a Keyblade wielder," he surmised, and Sora nodded.

"Yes, sire. I'm still new, but I've learned a lot. My master sent me out to make sure the order of the worlds is maintained when darkness threatens them."

"And yet you help lead outsiders to a world locked away," the king almost growled. "Keyblade wielders clawing for power they could not hope to control… such selfishness was the downfall of our great empire. We had hoped to escape the ravages of the war they brought, the darkness they spread, but our hopes were in vain." His tone sharpened slightly. "Key bearers like yourself only spread destruction. You may act with peaceful intentions, but you bring only chaos. But no matter what you do, you will never gain sway over our Heart."

Sora blinked. He hadn't expected fanfare and praise for his actions, but he certainly didn't see such chastisement coming. He didn't need Ventus's ability to read hearts to see that the king didn't trust him, nor was he all that fond of his presence. He swallowed and lowered his head again.

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty," he said. "I know a lot about the ravages of the Keyblade War. And though I know my words are worthless, I'm sorry." The king continued to stare at him, but his gaze softened slightly. "I'm sorry that Keyblade wielders, the ones who are supposed to defend the light and protect the worlds, were responsible for all that destruction. But like my parents and my master, I've vowed to never allow that to happen again. They fought to stop the madman who would cause war again, and my parents' best friend, the boy I was named after, he died to make sure that it wouldn't happen." He paused. "I know about the sacrifices people all over the worlds have made. And I know I could never understand the pain and suffering unless I had seen it with my own eyes, but I still want to help mend all that pain." Silence fell over them as the king pondered what he had been told.

"I do not trust Keyblade wielders," he said after some time. "Not after watching what calamity they had caused. But…" He paused. "Though it is against my better judgment, I can tell that your intentions are good and your heart is pure."

"No, sire," Sora interrupted, raising his head. "I've got darkness in my heart just like everyone else- well, almost everyone. But I want to use it to protect the light." He smiled. "I've seen it happen, and I believe I can learn how." The king nodded slowly.

"You are wise beyond your years, Sora," he told the boy. "Perhaps, with Key bearers like you out in the worlds, there is some glimmer of hope. But make no mistake: Even a path you believe is just may lead you to destruction. You may bring ruin without even realizing you've done so."

"I understand, sire," Sora nodded again. "Thank you for your words and your understanding. Now," he smiled. "I'm going to go keep an eye on your other visitors and make sure they don't stir up trouble."

"Be cautious, young Key bearer," the king advised. "I do not trust your companions."

"I know," Sora's smile faded. "To be honest… I don't trust all of them either."


End file.
